Contemplate This
by Donna Lynn
Summary: It always bothered me that Alec was not in the episode "Harbor Lights" when he should have been. This is my "deleted scene" for the episode. Max is lying in bed when Alec comes to check on her.


Contemplate This

Author: Donna Lynn

E-mail: dpierce99@hotmail.com

Status: Complete 

Category: General/Angst

Spoilers/Rumors: Missing scene "Harbor Lights" after the ending

Season: 2

Rating: PG

Content Warning: None

Summary: At the end of "Harbor Lights" Max is lying in bed when someone comes by. (Take a guess whom)

Author's Note: I was so pissed that Alec wasn't in this episode I couldn't help but write this I think it could've been fit into the episode. 

Pairing: Max/Alec

Disclaimer: The characters of "Dark Angel" do not belong to me. So **_DO NOT_** sue me!

Max sat up in her bed reading. It was a luxury she didn't have the opportunity to have anymore. If it wasn't trying to stop another transgenic from getting themselves killed or captured it was saving other people and dealing with her problems with Logan. Logan…things were still weird between them. 

Max sighed and let the book fall down into her lap. She stared off into space as she thought about the past few weeks. Ever since things went bad with the cure nothing had been the same. It felt like every time she and Logan got close something pulled them apart or kept them apart. She was beginning to wonder if she and Logan were really meant to be. She always thought if you were meant to be nothing could keep you apart. She knew there were challenges but the virus…that was a barricade. She couldn't even tell him she loved him to his face…how sad was that. Did she really love him? 

"What are you so deep in thought about?" Alec asked from her bedroom doorway. 

"Nothing, " she said shaking her head. _Why am I not biting his head off for just walking into my apartment in the middle of the night and into my bedroom nonetheless? _"What do you want?" she asked picking up her book and setting it on her nightstand.

He stepped into her room and walked to her window to look out it, "I wanted to see if you were okay. Cindy told me you got yourself shot saving a kid."

"Yeah, I was waiting in the gas line when the tank went empty and a guy went crazy with a gun, " she explained crossing her arms over her stomach. 

Alec stared out the window and shook his head, "You and your heroism…it's gonna get you killed Maxie." At the last bit of his statement he turned and looked at her with that usual smirk that was all Alec. She hated and loved that smirk. 

"That's what Zack used to tell me all the time, " she said quietly playing with her fingers in her lap. 

He looked back out the window. "Where were you headed?" he asked conversationally. 

"Huh?" she asked looking up from her hands. 

He looked back at her, "You were at the gas tanks…where were you headed?"

She looked back down at her hands and shrugged, "Nowhere really…just out of the city for the day. Instead I got a day in the hospital running from the CDC and White."

He sighed, "White…how is good old White?" 

"At the moment probably in a cast…I broke his knee at the joint, " she said slightly smiling. 

He smiled and pushed himself away from the window and without asking sat at the end of the bed a respectable distance from her. He clasped his hands together and looked her in the eye. "Why didn't Logan call me and tell me you'd been shot?" He was very serious there was no playfulness to his voice. 

"I guess he thought he could handle it…and he did, " she said quietly. 

He nodded, "Yeah, I can see that. At the expense of getting you hurt some more and almost getting you killed or worse getting you captured by White."

"Oh cut it out Alec. I didn't get killed and I didn't get captured by White and besides it's not like I can't take a sprang ankle and a few broken ribs, " she said defensively. 

Alec sighed and closed his eyes. "He should've called me…I could've gotten you out, but instead he tried to play the hero, " he said keeping his voice down so he wouldn't wake Original Cindy up. 

"And what's wrong with that?" she asked getting pissed. 

"What's wrong with it Max is he could've gotten you killed all because he didn't want ME involved!" he spat out. 

Max narrowed her eyes at him, "What are you talking about?"

Alec stood from the bed and went back to the window, "Come on Max it's no big secret. Logan doesn't like me because for some reason he feels threatened by me."

Max stared into Alec's back as he spoke. She knew he was right but she wouldn't let him know that. She knew Logan felt insecure about Alec and she didn't know why either and that's what scared her. Did Logan see something between her and Alec that neither of them could? Or did someone else…Asha maybe? She didn't know what was up with Logan, but he really didn't like her and Alec in anyway together even when fighting. 

"Anyway, I just wanted to check on you, " he said turning away from the window and heading to her door. He stopped at her door and looked toward her, "I'm glad you're alright Max. I would've had to kick Logan's ass if you'd been captured or killed. Who else would've kept me in line?" He smiled shyly at the end of his statement and turned to leave when her voice broke through the air. 

"Why don't you stay…keep me company?" she asked lightly. 

He turned back toward her. 

She shrugged, "Just that I don't get much sleep and Cindy isn't much of a night person so…I'm pretty much up all night by myself. Unless you got prior engagements or…"

"Shut up Max, " he grinned lightly coming to sit next to her at the head of the bed leaning against the headboard. She watched amused as he made himself comfortable like he planned on staying most if not all night. They sat in silence for a few minutes then Alec inquired, "Just out of curiosity why didn't you just get up and sneak out the window or something?"

"Logan said I was in the clear with my identity and everything and that I could go home the next day. That's when they found the virus in my system and put me under quarantine. I tried to leave but with the sedatives and the loss of blood without a donor I was pretty much out of it most of the time, " she explained. 

"Another reason he should've called me. He does know that X5's are universal donors right?" he asked looking at her sideways. 

She glared at him, "Yes he knows about us being universal donors, but again I guess he didn't want a one man job on that one."

"Oh yeah I'm sure that was it. If it'd been Asha in that hospital he would've called on you. You want to know what I think? I don't think he trusts me, " he said letting his head fall back against the wall. 

"What's he supposed to think about you when I don't even know what to think about you?" she stared out her window hoping he would ignore the question instead of answer it like he no doubtedly would because he's Alec. 

Alec turned to look at her, "What do you think about me honestly?"

She turned to look at him and just stared, "I'm getting a better understanding everyday I see you. I guess you could say you're my dream come true. I always wanted one of my own around and boom…you come into my life and won't go away. You get on my nerves…a lot. But, I'm beginning to see through your façade Alec you don't fool me."

Alec smiled, "And what façade is that?"

"That you don't give a shit about anyone but yourself. You don't want to let anyone in to help relieve the pain. I know all about it I was the exact same way before I met Logan, " she said softly. 

He stared into her eyes, "It's strange how things happen. Logan helped you and you're helping me. It's kind of like a pay it forward thing."

"You've been watching to much television, " she smirked. 

"Please, like you didn't watch a ton of television when you broke out of Manticore, " he accused. 

She chuckled, "Yeah, I did learn a lot from movies I guess."

"Did you ever see Aliens and Terminator? Those were some cool movies, " he commented playing with Max's bed sheet between his fingers. 

"Wasn't Aliens about those marines who went to LV426 or something and found that the colonists had been infected or whatever by those zenomorph things?" she said talking with her hands. 

He nodded, "Yes and Terminator was about this artificial intelligence called skynet that sent two terminators back through time to kill this woman and her son to stop them from beating them in the future, but what I don't get is if they killed either of them they were killing themselves anyway."

"Oh yeah, I saw those they were pretty good. I guess it's the whole superior and military thing it's kind of drilled into our brains, " she said. 

"The Abyss was good too, " he said quietly. 

She smiled, "Yeah I loved that one too it was so…"

"Wet, " he chuckled. 

"It reminded me of the tank. You know how everything had that glow like the tank did and it was so cold all the time, " she said before she realized what she said. The smile fell from her face and she looked over at Alec and saw his had left his face as well. 

"Did they ever make you go in the tank as you got older?" she asked softly. 

He bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah…a couple times. Mostly it was when they thought you were falling behind in training though. They killed some of their best doing that."

She looked down at her entwined hands and said, "Sorry…I didn't mean to bring it up it just came out before I realized it…you know me I act before I think." She offered him a gentle smile at the end of her statement. 

He faced her letting his head rest on her headboard, "Manticore's gone Max…they can't hurt us anymore."

"Maybe Manticore can't but White's people can, " she said. 

"They'll just be someone we'll have to deal with, " he said. 

"We, " she smiled. 

"We, " he smiled back. 

"I thought this wasn't your mess?" she commented still smiling. 

He shrugged, "What else do I have better to do? I'll be running anyway why not run with you?" 

"I'm glad you stayed around, " she said patting him on the hand. 

"Well someone has to watch your ass, " he said cocky. "Literally, " he added.

She punched him on the shoulder, "You better not be looking at my ass."

"Why not?" he said honestly. 

She rolled her eyes and leaned further back on the bed. 

"Tired?" he asked looking over at her as she tried to get comfortable. 

"A little, but…I don't want to sleep, " she said. 

"Nightmares, " he stated. 

"Sometimes, " she whispered. 

"Yeah…I know what you mean. Why don't you get some sleep, " he said quietly. 

"Mmm mmm, " she murmured. 

Alec reached down and pulled the blanket over her. She was fast asleep. Must be the medication he thought. That's some strong medication to knock an X5 out that fast. He leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead and whispered, "Good night Maxie." He carefully stood from the bed and made his way to the door and turned to look at her sleeping form. She scared him to death earlier. Truth was he didn't know what he'd do without Max she was so much apart of his life but not apart of his life. It was weird he thought. It was strange but he and Max were forever tide together…and he was thankful for that. He turned and left her to sleep. 

__

I was so pissed when Alec wasn't in "Harbor Lights" he should've been in that episode! I hope you liked the story please review. 

2nd Sorry it took so long to put this up but for 2 to 3 weeks now Fan Fiction.net hasn't been letting me login to upload anything so I'm hoping the problem is finally fixed. Thank You for your patience


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